Team Jessie, Crashing Down Again
by Diedre D'Nai
Summary: Jessie, drunk in the back of a pick-up truck, reflects on her life, love and rival. Where did she go wrong? Rating for drinking, implications and language


No one questioned the girl in the back of the cherry red pick-up truck. She was drunk, leaning against the back window, her left hand wrapped around the half-empty bottle of booze, her right hand held her head up. Her long red hair formed a crimson halo around her.

This was all wrong. This...this was fucked up. She pressed her head back, letting tears slid down her face and into her mouth as she tipped the bottle up again. The drink burned as it washed the salty tears down her throat. How had this happened? Where did she go wrong?

She had had such a promising childhood. Then... a few bad decisions later and she was a member of Team Rocket. She wasn't even done with high school yet...and here she was, drowning in vodka, trying to chase away the horrors of what her life had become.

Her head ached. Where had she gone wrong? She wanted to blame it on James, but...that wasn't right. He was her boyfriend, her partner, he loved her but she knew that it hurt him. She knew he was a flamer. That was the only possibly explanation for his eagerness to wear women's clothing, his declarations of "I'm feeling giddy!" He loved her. He tried so hard...but his arms didn't feel like a lover's anymore. More like...a friend. He deserved happiness, but that didn't make it hurt any less. She resented it, but...James...James needed a man in his life, and Jessie knew how damned female she was.

Children were laughing in the playground. It was after midnight, shouldn't they be home safe? Didn't parents watch their kids anymore?  
"Hey, isn't that Jessie?" the voice was just loud enough that it forced the inebriated woman to look up blearily at the people walked towards her. Ash...Ash and his little friends.  
"Hey Jessie...are you alright?" The black haired boy asked. In response, Jessie threw her bottle at them.  
"Fuck off." she slurred, her black tank top slid down her shoulder. "Go...go home. Yer parents...don't they...worry about you? Kids...kids shouldn't be so far from home. They shouldn't have to meet people like me. Go home!" she shouted. Tears streaming down her face. Ash blinked a few times.  
"What's wrong with her?" He asked, turning to look at Brock and Misty. Brock picked up the shattered bottle and sniffed it before turning away from the smell.  
"She's drunk."  
"I'll tell you when I'm...when I'm...drunk..." Jessie said, she attempted to stand, but slipped and tumbled out of the truck bed, landing on Brock.  
"geroff!" she demanded, pushing off the boy. She managed to stand for a minute before falling over and landing in the mud, next to the tire. The three kids in front of her exchanged looks.

"Did either of you see Meowth or James?" Misty asked.  
"I thought I saw them at a hotel a ways back." Brock volunteered.  
"I'll stay here, you two hurry and get them." Ash said, he sat down on the truck, Pikachu sitting down beside him, eyes on the sobbing red-head beside them.

"Go home..." she said, weeping hysterically, "Go home. Yer parents will worry about you."  
"No they won't." Ash said softly, "They know I'm safe."  
"I've tried to kill you before." Jessie wept, "You're ten and I...I've tried to kill you! All because someone ELSE wants your pokemon. All the pokemon. You...you haven't done anything wrong but...your my rival..." she started laughing, "I've got YEARS on you and YOUR my rival!" Ash just stared at her in silence. He listened as she babbled on. She talked about everything...and nothing, words coming out so fast he couldn't make heads or tails of it, the story of her life was a slurred mess of words and vomit and demands for more booze. He looked away, into the distance.

"Pika!" the yellow rodent on his shoulder said, pointing at the pair of headlights coming towards them. Jessie looked up, lifting her right arm to shield her arms. A silloute ran towards her, pulling her to him.  
"Jessie...are you alright?" James asked, lifting the beautiful woman up off the ground.  
"F...fuckyou..." she said, smiling, tears running down her face, "Idonneedyerhelp." her vision was swirling, darkening. "Iloveyou." she muttered as she blanked out.

"Thanks." He said, looking at the three confused children. "I'll get her home." The purple haired man put his unconcious lover in the car. Meowth poked his head out from the backseat window and waved goodbye.

* * *

Jessie awoke the next morning with a blinding headache. She was lying in her hotel bed, naked, but warm, with James beside her. He was awake and just watching her, his eyes filled with love and tenderness...but not what she needed. He looked at her...like they were friends. Nothing more. Last night came pouring back to her in bits and pieces.

"Shit..." she moaned, sitting upright and clutching her head with one hand, "How much did I..."  
"A lot." James said, he rolled out of bed wearing a pair of Team Rocket boxers. "Ash and his friends found you."  
"Damn..." her only response. She smiled as James walked over with a cup of orange juice and an advil.  
"Here." he said, kissing her softly and handing her the cup and pill, "We're taking the day off."  
"Thanks..." she said, tears started down her face again.

He didn't really love her. No matter how sweet he was, James couldn't be what she needed.  
"What's wrong love?" He asked, sitting down beside her.  
"Nothing." she lied, swallowing her advil and chasing it down with half a glass of OJ.  
"What is it?"  
"You...you don't really love me..." she said softly, lying back down and rolling over so he couldn't see her cry.  
"Thats in-"  
"You're gay..." she said softly, "I know you are. You should do what makes you happy."  
James sat there, staring at the lump of a woman he was with.  
"You...you knew...."  
"Yes." she turned back to face him. To her surprise, James leant down to kiss her, not the peck he usually gave her out of some sense of obligation, a deep, passionate kiss, scooping her up in his arms. When he finally let her go, the woman just stared at her.

"Then you have to know how much it means when I say "I love you" or when I tell you you're the only woman I could ever be with." He said. "I do love you." He slid under the covers next to her, pulling her towards him, "Very, Very much."


End file.
